ICC introdues changes to playing conditions

KABUL (Pajhwok): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced changes to its playing conditions which will take effect from September 28.

A restriction on the dimensions of the bat, introduction of player send-offs for misconduct and changes to the decision review system ae the highlights of the new playing conditions.

In a statement. ICC said the changes would commence from the Test series between South Africa and Bangladesh, as well as the one between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates.

The playing conditions will incorporate the relevant clauses from the MCC Laws of Cricket (2017 Code), meaning that all regulations will be captured in one document for each format.

ICC General Manager Geoff Allardice said: “Most of the changes to the playing conditions are being made as a result of changes to the Laws of Cricket that have been announced by the MCC.

"We have just completed a workshop with the umpires to ensure they understand all of the changes and we are now ready to introduce the new playing conditions to international matches.”

The size of bat edges as well as their thickness, its length and width remain unchanged but the thickness of the edges could not exceed 40mm. The overall depth can be 67 mm at the most.

Umpires will be issued with a new bat gauge, which they can use to check a bat’s legality, according to the statement, which said a player could be sent off the field for the rest of the match for any serious misconduct.

The changes will be applicable across all formats, as will be a change in the decision review system rules, meaning a review will not be lost in case of a decision that remains unchanged, solely as the result of an ‘umpire’s call’.

As for DRS in Test matches, there will be no more top-up reviews after 80 overs of an innings -- there can only be two unsuccessful reviews in each innings, while the DRS will now also be allowed to be used in T20Is.

A batsman will not be run out if he/she is running or diving towards the crease with forward momentum and has grounded his/her bat behind the popping crease but subsequently lost contact with the ground at the time of the wickets being put down.

The same interpretation will also apply to a batsman trying to regain his/her ground to avoid being stumped.

For boundary catches, airborne fielders making their first contact with the ball will need to have taken off from within the boundary, otherwise a boundary will be scored.